Chuck end control device for hot wound springs



Sept. 26, 1967 Y,1. P. rEMPlNsKl cmJcx END CONTROL DEVICE rFon HOT wouND SPRINGS Filed July 22, 1965 Z'Sheets-Sheet l mw w l NP Mm 0 E WH wr A P. M M ...n u w l/AMVY Sept. 26, 1967 J. P. TEMPINSKI CHUCK END CONTROL DEVICE FOR HOT WOUND SPRINGS Filed July 22, 1965 2 sheets-sheet 2 v m w w. N l

JOSEPH l? TEMP/NSK! United States Patent C) 3,343,391 CHUCK END CONTROL DEVICE FOR HOT WOUND SPRINGS Joseph P. Tempinski, Lower Burrell, Pa., assignor to Union Spring & Manufacturing Company, New Kensington, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 22, 1965, Ser. No. 474,004 3 Claims. (Cl. 72-142) The present invention relates generally to spring coiling machines wherein a heated bar is coiled about a suitable mandrel to provide a generally cylindrical helically coiled spring. Such machines are old in the art and one su-ch type machine is shown in U.S. Gogan Patent 2,018,209. More specifically the invention resides in an improved form of chuck end control for the initial coil formation of the spring to effect an end coil flat bearing surface of upwards to 320 of rotation. Y

It is well known in the art that coil springs employed in resiliently supporting substantial loads must have liat parallel end bearing surfaces which are substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the springs for'maximum efficiency of operation. The present practice is to grind said spring end surfaces in an effect to Aobtain the required parallelism. This is both costly andv heretofore has not been readily accomplished.

Customarily such coil or compression springs are made from hot wounds bars having their opposite ends suitably forged to a generally chisel point to provide a iiat bearing surface at opposite ends of the spring. The flattened end of the bar is manually placed and held against a suitable plate of the spring coiling machine. When manually held in this position the end of the bar is customarily clamped against the spring coiling machine mandrel upon which the bar is to be wound to form the coils. The skill of the operator or other workman in guiding the bar, as it advances towards and across the mandrel, is relied upon to maintain the bar against the associated face plate during the formation of the end coil. This means has not been entirely satisfactory.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of combined clamp and guide whereby the entering end of the hot bar is initially advanced by a controlled force, into bearing engagement with the face plate before the face plate clamp is applied, and thereafter said controlled force maintains the advancing bar against the face plate during formation initial end coil of the spring.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the controlled force includes a roller member which will maintain its pressure against the advancing tapered end of the hot bar during upwards of 320 of the required bearing area of the spring end so as to maintain the adjacent bar face in Contact with the coiling machine face plate and thereafter move away from the bar for completion of the coiling operation in a direction away from and longitudinally of the mandrel.

A further object of the invention is to provide for adjustably mounting the improved clamp and guide means of the invention upon the coiling machine overhead member to accommodate various tip thickness of the pointed and tapered hot bar from which the spring is formed.

of substantially all ofthe 3,343,391 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 FIG. 1 shows a plan View of the clamp and control device of the invention as applied to the overhead member of a standard coiling machine, of the character described, whose relevant parts are indicated in dot and dash lines;

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of the device of FIG. l with the coiling machine face plate and mandrel shown in dot and dash lines;

FIG. 3 shows an end elevation of the device of FIG. 1 with the clamp and control device clamping the end of the tapered hot bar to the face plate;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 and shows the bar clamped to the face plate and mandrel after the coiling operation begins;

FIG. 5 shows the bar at the device;

FIG. 6 shows in cross-section the shape and relation of the tip of the tapered end of the h ot bar to the coiling machine mandrel and face plate at the beginning of the coiling operation;

FIG. 7 shows in cross-section the normal change in shape of the tapered end of the hot bar as the coiling action proceeds and the change in relation between the adjacent faces of the bar and coiling machine face plate, when the present invention is not used; and

FIG. 8 shows how the roller of the device of the invention positions the advancing tapered end of the bar in parallel abutting relation to the plane of the face plate and normal to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel over which the hot bar is being coiled.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the overhead beam or bridge member A, the mandrel B, face release position of the plate C and clamp D, of a conventional coiling machine These and other objects of the invention will be made of the character described, are indicated in dot and dash lines to show their relation to the control devi-ce of the invention as mounted thereon. It will be understood that a conventional coiling machine of the general type shown in Gogan Patent 2,018,209 provides a base mechanism with'which the device of the invention is usable without modification of the coiling machine.

Reference numeral 1 indicates generally a mounting plate for attaching the device to the coiling machine overhead beam member A and comprises a top member 2 having a depending transversely disposed member 3 welded thereto and provided with a laterally extending brace member 4. The machine member A is provided with suitable openings therein to receive bolts 5 which extend through slotted openings 6 in plate 2 for adjustably securing mounting plate member 2 to member A for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

At one end of member 2 is attached an air cylinder trunnion pin 7 having a shoulder 8 thereon from which extends a threaded portion 9 through opening 10 in member 2 and secured thereto by suitable nut 11. Depending from trunnion pin 7 is a threaded reduced end portion 12 which is received in a suitable clevis |13 of air cylinder 14 and secured thereto by nut 15.

Air cylinder 14 is provided with a suitable reciprocating piston (not shown) having a piston rod 16 connected thereto and extending from one end of cylinder 14 to receive a cylinder rod end bearing 17, which is pivotally connected by means of a stud 18 to one end of cylinder arm 19. The opposite end of cylinder arm 19 is connected in fixed relation, by means of set screw 20, to shaft 21 which is pivotally mounted in a pair of pillow blocks 22 secured by means of suitable fasteners 23 to member 3.

Shaft 21 depends below member 3 and has attached thereto, by means of suitable set screws 24, a suitable roller arm 25 which has depending therefrom a roller arm extension stud 26 upon which is pivotally mounted a roller 27. It will be noted that shaft 21 has a key way seat 28 extending inwardly from the lower end thereof and arm 25 is provided with a key way seat receiving a key 29 which is retained in place by set screws 24. In this manner arm 25 and attached roller 27 are vertically adjustable for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

Referring now to the operation of the device, it is to be noted that the device is shown in initial operation position by full lines in FIGS. l to 5 and in retracted position by dotted lines on FIGS. l, 2 and 3.

In the practice of the invention, it will be understood that mandrel B and associated face plate C having thereon clamp D and bar stop E will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, during the entire coiling operation, which operation will not commence until roller 27 (FIG. 2) has pressed the tip 31 of the heated and tapered bar 30 horizontally against the adjacent face plate C and clamp D has applied vertical pressure upon tip 31.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, with the mandrel B and face plate C in stationary position, bar 30 is advanced by the operator towards the face plate C and into contact therewith and with face plate bar stops E. Thereafter the cylinder 14 is actuated to retract cylinder rod end bearing 17 and cylinder arm 19 from the position partially shown in dotted lines of FIG. 1 to their position as shown in full lines on FIG. l. Concurrent with such movement, shaft 21 is rotated in pillow bearings 22 by 19 to rotate roller bearing arm 25, extension stud 26 and roller 27 from the positions shown by dotted lines to that shown in full lines on FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Roller 27 under pressure from cylinder 14 has now pressed tip 31 of bar 30 against face plate C and clamp D is actuated to clamp tip 31 against the underlying mandrel B, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Although not shown, it will be understood that the body of bar 30 extending away from mandrel B will be engaged with the usual lead screw of the coiling machine in the conventional manner to effect the customary spacing of successively formed spring coils.

The coiling machine is now actuated so as to rotate the mandrel B and face plate C in a counter-clockwise direction. During this rotation the initially rectangular end 31 of the tapered portion of bar 30 begins to move beneath and past roller 27 from the position shown in FIG. 3 towards that shown in FIG. 4 and subsequently to the position shown in FIG. 5 which represents a rotation of bar end 31 of about 270, when the cylinder 14 is deactivated and roller 27 is released from the bar.

The present invention has consistently and successfully eliminated the previous convexed spring end conditions by maintaining the end face of an initially forming spring coil in a single plane for a selectively variable distance of 270 to as much as 320 of rotation of the end of the bar forming such coil.

The change in cross section from rectangular to trapezoidal is a natural result of the diminishing taper applied inwardly from the ends of the hot bar from which the spring is formed. The coil spring best performs its function when the coils thereof intermediate the end coils, are of uniform cross-section. It will be also understood that the diameter of the bar from which the spring is formed Will also vary for springs of different capacity.

In the present invention, as indicated in FIGS. 6 to 8, as the cross section of the forming end coil of the spring changes, from rectangular to trapezoidal and to round, the pressure applied through the bar engaging roller 27 rmly and continuously acts upon the moving adjacent trapezoidal flat face 34 of the forming coil to force the opposite trapezoidal face 33 into alignment with the adjacent surface of rotating face plate C. This face of plate C is rotating in a vertical plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the rotating mandrel upon which the spring is being wound.

As indicated in FIGS. l and 2 of the drawings, the pressure contact between roller 27 and adjacent face of the tapered end of the hot bar is maintained by pressure acting on the piston within cylinder 14, which for most purposes can be variable from zero to upwards of 628 pounds or more depending on design. Additionally, by reason of the slotted openings 6 in plate 1, the entire device can be adjustably supported upon the said machine overhead member A so as to position the roller 27 laterally of the vertical axis of rotation of face plate C any suitable distance (X), FIG. 5, to provide the most effective point of contact between roller 34 and tapered end of bar 30 for maintaining the contact of the face 33 of the forming coil with the adjacent face plate C. It will be obvious that roller 34, when maintained in contact with the forming coil by a preselected pressure, will be increasingly resisted by the forming coil as the taper diminishes into the round cross section of the bar. Air pressure within cylinder 14 is sufficiently resilient to permit this displacement of the roller 34 under these conditions to accommodate the increasing cross-section of the forming coil and without corresponding movement between face 33 of the forming coil relative to the adjacent face of face plate C.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for providing a flat bearing surface upon the initially forming end of an elongated helically coiled spring upon a conventional coiling machine having a rotating face plate against which the entering end of a hot bar abuts and a mandrel rotatable with said face plate and about which said hot bar is coiled, comprising,

a roller member freely rotatable about a vertical axis,

means mounting said roller for selective advancement and retraction of said roller into engagement with said hot bar during the coiling operation, and

means for selectively applying pressure upon said bar as it moves relative to said roller to maintain said load bearing surface of the forming spring coil in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the forming coil.

2. Apparatus for maintaining the initially wound bearing face of a helical spring being formed from the tapered end of a heated bar being wound upon a rotating mandrel extending from a rotating face plate, wherein the longitudinal axis of rotation of the mandrel and face plate are in a common plane and surface of the face plate defining the initially wound bearing face of the spring is in a plane vertical to said longitudinal axis, comprising,

a base plate for mounting upon the overhead member of a spring coiling machine of the character described and selectively adjustable longitudinally thereof,

a fluid pressure actuated cylinder pivotally suspended at one end from said base plate and provided with a suitable reciprocating piston having attached thereto a piston rod extending from the opposite end of the said cylinder,

a member pivotally mounted upon said base plate and depending therefrom,

a lever member pivotally connected with said protruding end of said piston rod and attached to said depending member for rotation thereof during reciprocal movement of said cylinder piston and piston rod,

a roller arm fixed at one end adjacent the lower end of said pivotally mounted depending member and extending therefrom,

a roller arm extension stud depending from the free end of said roller arm and a roller provided with a convex peripheral face pivotally mounted upon the lower end of said extension stud,

said roller upon actuation of said cylinder piston and piston rod in one direction acting through its convex face to initially press said tapered end of the heated bar against said rotating face plate and thereafter retain the abutting faces of the said rotating face plate and bar in contact for substantially 270 of rotation before release ofthe bar upon exhaustion of pressure from said cylinder.

3. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the said base plate is adjustable relative to its support whereby the bearing contact between roller, bar and face plate may be positioned laterally of said vertical axis of rotation of said face plate as the diameter or taper of the spring forming bar is varied.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,018,209 10/1935 Gogan 72-30 3,139,136 6/1964 Chambers 72-148 RICHARD I. HERBST, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A FLAT BEARING SURFACE UPON THE INITIALLY FORMING END OF AELONGATED HELICALLY COILED SPRING UPON PLATE CONVENTIONAL COILING MACHINE HAVING A ROTATING FACE PLATE AGAINST WHICH THE ENTERING END OF A HOT BAR ABUTS AND A MANDREL ROTATABLE WITH SAID FACE PLATE AND ABOUT WHICH SAID HOT BAR IS COILED, COMPRISING A ROLLER MDEMBER FREELY ROTATABLE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ROLLER FOR SELECTIVE ADVANCEMENT AND RETRACTION OF SAID ROLLER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HOT BAR DURING THE COILING OPERATION, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY APPLYING PRESSURE UPON SAID BAR AS IT MOVES RELATIVE TO SAID ROLLER TO MAINTAIN SAID 